Sheep were grazed on this portion of the plain of Flanders long before the Romans came. There is record of consignment to Germany at the end of the 12th century. In the 15th century Tourcoing’s supremacy in textiles was assured. Emperor Maximilian of Austria licensed a trade fair for the town in 1491. Louis XIV incorporated the town into the French kingdom in 1668. In 1794 at Tourcoing the French defeated a combined army of Austrians and English. The 19th-century neo-Gothic church of Saint-Christophe dominates the central square, the Grande Place.

Together with Roubaix, its neighbouring city, Tourcoing became a major centre for wool textiles. Both cities, with their suburbs, form part of the conurbation of Lille. With the pronounced decline of the textile industry, diversifying the local economy became important. Other major economic activities include printing, food processing, and mail-order sales and distribution. Pop. (1999) 93,540; (2014 est.) 95,329.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager.

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